He aha te ahunga? Ko wai te tuupuna? 

Rarohenga is another realm, often referred to as the underworld, and in many teachings is the source of many forms of toi. Significantly to Ngaio, the many forms of traditional Māori weaving. 

Communicating stories of powerful wāhine is an important element in all aspects of Ngaio’s mahi, and this piece speaks to a pūrākau about one particular wahine; Niwareka. 

he rerenga ki raro discusses this pūrākau, about the descent or fleeing to Rarohenga.  

This portal to Rarohenga, not only investigates the idea of the source of Ngaio’s mahi toi, it also speaks of the interweaving of permanence and impermanence with different materials. Most of the materials that Ngaio uses for raranga and whatu come from te taiao and te Waonui o Tāne. They are harvested and used with tikanga, and eventually are returned to the earth. When creating a more permanent structure, how can these materials change? This artwork uses metal, from the whenua, returning into the whenua through whatu, so he rerenga ki raro speaks to Māori concepts, art forms and worldviews returning to Aotearoa. 

Want to learn more? Follow @tiputoi @tewharetapere and @scapepublicart for opportunities to wānanga about this mahi